Category: NHL

Former Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has signed a three-year, $7 million AAV contract with their Atlantic Division rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Bobrovsky played seven seasons with the Panthers, guiding the team to two Stanley Cup victories and another finals appearance. With the Panthers, Bobrovsky recorded a .903 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average in 349 regular-season games. 

In his playoff career, Bobrovsky recorded a .909 SP and a 2.55 GAA in 83 games. 

His time with Florida wasn’t always perfect, as he got off to a very slow start following the massive seven-year, $10 million AAV contract he signed as a UFA in 2019. But once he found his game, the Panthers were rejuvenated and became the team to beat in the NHL.

Throughout the process leading to Bobrovsky signing with the Maple Leafs, there were many reports about what he wanted from the Panthers, and what the Panthers were willing to offer. 

Several reports stated that Bobrovsky was seeking a six- or seven-year contract, but in the end, he settled for a three-year deal that will carry him into age 40. 

Panthers Acquiring Goaltender Jacob Markstrom From The DevilsThe Florida Panthers have acquired their No. 1 goaltender for the 2026-27 season, landing Jacob Markstrom in a trade from the New Jersey Devils.

Ultimately, the Panthers went with Jacob Markstrom, who is a year younger, $1 million cheaper, and has one fewer season on his contract. 

Bobrovsky will now be reunited with Anthony Stolarz in Toronto, as the pair were dominant for the Panthers in the 2023-24 season. 

The Bobrovsky era in Florida is truly over, and there is now a high chance the two sides will meet again in the playoffs.

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Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has made another acquisition of a player who can play the center position in the NHL.

After inking Jack Roslovic and Colton Sissons to two-year contracts, the Maple Leafs have acquired center Teddy Blueger, offering him the same term as the other two additions. Across Blueger's two years, he'll earn $2.5 million per season, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Blueger's last contract was with the Vancouver Canucks, when he earned $1.8 million per season on a two-year deal.

This past year, the 31-year-old recorded nine goals and 17 points in 35 appearances for Vancouver. He missed over three months to start the campaign with an injury.

In a full 82-game season in 2024-25, Blueger scored eight goals and 27 points, which is around the range of offensive production that should be expected from the Latvian.

It's worth mentioning that Blueger is a former Stanley Cup champion as he hoisted the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23. He was a trade deadline pickup, scoring six points and averaged 13:16 of ice time in the regular season.

He wasn't utilized much more when it came to that post-season, racking up just two points in six appearances, playing 10:30 of ice time per game.

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Free agency for the NHL opened today and moves are already being made.  One of those belongs to Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz.  Schwartz concluded his five-year, 5.5 million dollar contract with Seattle and entered unrestricted free agency.  Colorado was quick to snatch him up.

The 34-year-old veteran had eleven goals (twenty-six points) in fifty games played with the Kraken in 2025-26.  He has battled injuries over the past two seasons, but when on the ice is a clear difference maker.  Schwartz will make the move to Colorado with 861 career NHL games across fifteen seasons.  

The Avalanche and Schwartz have agreed to a three-year, $3.25 million AAV deal, which ends after the 2028-29 season.  At that time, Schwartz will be 37 years old.

There are three remaining UFAs under the Kraken umbrella: Eeli Tolvanen, Jamie Oleksiak, and Matt Murray.  It is unlikely that the Kraken will make an attempt to keep Murray, and rumors indicate no offer had been extended to Tolvanen as recently as a week ago.  

Related:

Seattle Kraken Sign Roed and Avon to One-Year NHL ContractsThe Seattle Kraken announced on Monday, June 29th, that the team had signed forwards Lleyton Roed and Jon-Randall Avon to one-year NHL deals, adding two more players from the organization’s system.

On what was expected to be a mostly quiet day of free agency for the Islanders, they signed Matias Maccelli to a one-year deal with an average annual value of $2.25 million, according to TSN.

Maccelli, a 25-year-old winger with a left-handed shot, spent last season with the Maple Leafs, with whom he collected 14 goals and 39 points before not receiving a $4.1 million qualifying offer.

He received an opportunity to skate on the right side of Auston Matthews early in the season, according to The Athletic, but Maccelli was also a healthy scratch at times, too.

He’ll become another forward for the Islanders, who are potentially in need of one with captain Anders Lee testing the market as a free agent.

A fourth-round pick in 2019, Maccelli has also skated in games for the Coyotes and Mammoth, and in 2023-24, he recorded career-bests in goals (17) and points (57).

The Islanders also signed right-handed defenseman Matthew Kessel, who has spent his entire career with the Blues, to a one-year deal worth $850,000, according to Elliotte Friedman.

The Bruins will have a new back-up goalie next season.

The B’s shipped Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, receiving prospect Kalle Vaisanen and a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft in exchange.

The Bruins did not retain any of Korpisalo’s salary in the deal, meaning his $3 million AAV is now off the books.

With Korpisalo on the move, the Bruins will likely turn to Michael DiPietro as their back-up, at least initially.

DiPietro has been great in Providence, particularly last season, and deserves a look at the NHL level. He’s under contract through next season and carries a cap hit of $812,500, making him an affordable option as well.

The only caveat is that DiPietro is eligible for waivers, so the B’s would need to make a decision on his NHL role and stick with it or risk losing him for nothing if they tried to send him down (as opposed to sending him up and down endlessly, as the B’s have done with some players in the past).

Still, we’re a ways away from worrying about that.

Vaisanen is a 23-year-old forward who spent last season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

He had three goals and an assist in 51 games for Hartford.

Last season was Vaisanen’s first in North America, as he spent the earlier years of his career playing professionally in Finland.

With roster spots available in Providence after some departures, Vaisanen should be able to find a role somewhere.

Overall, this move should be considered a good one for the Bruins: they freed up some cap space, received an asset or two in return, and didn’t have to keep any of Korpisalo’s salary.

It wasn’t too long ago that some fans were suggesting packaging Korpisalo with an asset to get another team to take on the salary; instead, the Bruins moved that money out and got a pick and prospect with it.

Dealin’ Don strikes again!

The Chicago Blackhawks allowed Ilya Mikheyev to reach free agency, despite him being one of their more important forwards over the last two years. 

In Mikheyev, you get a top-shelf penalty killer, along with a guy who can score anywhere from 15-20 goals a year with no power play time. 

He made sense in a bottom-six role for the Blackhawks, but they decided to let him walk. On Wednesday, Mikheyev signed a four-year deal with an average annual value of $3.85 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Obviously, giving him that fourth year and residing in a tax-free state gave the Lightning an advantage over the Blackhawks in the negotiating, but would it have been so bad to pay him with an extra year rather than Cole Smith? That is something that Kyle Davidson will have to observe and answer for in the coming years. 

Another defensively-sound middle-sixer for the Lightning. Pretty fair deal for Ilya Mikheyev pic.twitter.com/lDtIegA2cf

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 1, 2026

Ilya Mikheyev, signed 4x$3.9M by TB, is a speedy defensive winger who's excellent at killing penalties and contributes on the forecheck at 5v5. Strong defensive track record. pic.twitter.com/aHTFZNtMFq

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2026

With the superstars that the Lightning have up front, like Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brayden Point, amongst others, Mikheyev's speed on defense and the forecheck will fit in perfectly within their middle-six. 

Mikheyev is stepping into a situation where he can play a key role on a team looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. That likely went into his decision as well. It's a tough loss for the Blackhawks, but not one that can keep them down.

Moving forward, they need to find a way to replace his speed and penalty killing. Oliver Moore's role on the team grows significantly with Mikheyev gone, but it will be done by committee. 

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The San Jose Sharks have signed veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract worth $33 million. The contract carries an average annual value of $8.25 million.

Trouba served as captain of the New York Rangers for parts of three seasons before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the middle of the 2024-25 season. Last season, his only full season with the Ducks, the 32-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals for the third time in his career and recorded 35 points, the third-highest point total of his career. 

Trouba is known for his offensive ability as well as his strong physical play, which occasionally comes under scrutiny. 

In 906 career games, Trouba has scored 84 goals, 274 assists and a total of 358 points, along with 701 penalty minutes. 

The Sharks were looking to add a defenseman who could move the puck, and Trouba can certainly help in that regard. With that being said, he hasn't been a regular on the power play in quite some time.

Trouba will certainly bring some veteran leadership to the blue line and he can serve as a long-term mentor for the Sharks' young defensemen. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have added a new young forward to their system. 

The Flyers have signed forward Danila Klimovich to a one-year contract, as confirmed by NHL agent Dan Milstein. 

Klimovich became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Vancouver Canucks did not tender him a qualifying offer. Now, the 23-year-old forward will be working on his development as a member of the Flyers organization.

Klimovich has yet to play at the NHL level and spent each of the last five seasons in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In 281 career AHL games over that span, the 6-foot-2 forward posted 70 goals, 53 assists, 123 points, and 227 penalty minutes.

Overall, with this move, the Flyers are adding a young forward to their depth. It will be interesting to see if he can make the jump to the NHL level next season with Philadelphia. 

The New York Rangers have acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick and forward Kalle Vaisanen.

Korpisalo comes in with a $3 million cap hit for the Rangers over the next two years, with the Bruins reportedly retaining $1 million per season from his current contract, which expires after the 2027-28 season.

The 32-year-old goaltender is coming off a season with the Boston Bruins in which he posted a 14-9-6 record, .894 save percentage, and a 3.14 goals against average. 

This trade comes just about one week after the Rangers re-signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a two-year contract extension. 

With Jonathan Quick officially retired, the backup goaltending position behind Igor Shesterkin is up for grabs. 

The backup goaltending position is not solidified in the eyes of the Rangers’ management, as they anticipate Korpisalo competing with Garand during training camp.

Luke Schenn will be a member of the Vancouver Canucks for the third time in his NHL career. 

Vancouver announced earlier today that Schenn has signed a one-year deal worth $2.25M, bringing him back to the Canucks for the third time in his career and second time via free-agency. 

The defenceman first joined the Canucks organization by trade in the 2018-19 season, playing in a total of eight games before he eventually parted ways with Vancouver via free agency later in the off-season. He went on to win two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to the Canucks for the second time. 

Schenn's return to Vancouver came about via free agency, as the defenceman signed a two-year deal worth $875,000 per year. After putting together eight goals and 30 assists in 121 games with Vancouver through 2021 to 2023, Schenn was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs near the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. 

Since his last stint with the Canucks, Schenn has played for Toronto, the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Buffalo Sabres. As of late, he has operated within a depth-defender role. 

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Former Florida Panthers youngsters Mackie Samoskevich and Mike Benning have signed contracts with Western Conference teams.

Samoskevich, who was dealt to the Seattle Kraken prior to the 2026 NHL draft, has signed a three-year, $3.85-million contract with the Kraken. When the 23-year-old’s contract expires, he’ll remain a restricted free agent and will be just 26 years old.

Samoskevich’s contract has no trade protection.

“We’re very happy to have Mackie officially signed with the team for three years,” said Kraken GM Jason Botterill in a press release. “He’s a proven winner who is skilled and brings speed and scoring ability to our group. We’re excited to get to work with him in the fall.”

As for Benning, he has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames. Benning had his first opportunity to play in the NHL this past season with the Panthers and showed that he was up to the task.

Despite being a bit undersized at 5-foot-9, Benning held his own in the NHL and produced some offense. In 18 games, the 24-year-old scored two goals and six points. 

Florida Panthers Sign Top Prospect Sandis Vilmanis To 2-Year Contract ExtensionSkilled young forward Sandis Vilmanis secures his future in South Florida following a breakout AHL campaign, positioning himself as a primary contender to crack the NHL roster this fall.

The Flames are a rebuilding team, and Benning should find plenty of opportunities to earn minutes on the Flames' NHL roster, despite signing a two-way deal.

Samoskevich has a real opportunity to play in the Kraken’s top six alongside players like Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle. 

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The depth deals keep on coming in for the New York Islanders, as the team has now signed goaltender Vitek Vanecek and right-shot defenseman Matthew Kessel to one-year contracts.

Vanecek's deal is identical to to ex-Islanders' David Rittich's, signed purely to be a strong depth option behind Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin.

Vanecek played 22 games for the Utah Mammoth last season.

1 x $1M — same deal Rittich got last summer. #Isleshttps://t.co/txUfIkNK2T

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) July 1, 2026

Kessel, 26, signed a one-year, one-way, $850k (league minimum) contract with the Islanders.

Matt Kessel 1 x $850K (one-way)

Islanders

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026

Kessel is a big 6'3 right-shot defenseman that played 29 games last season for the St. Louis Blues, scoring two goals and three points.

The 26-year-old defenseman will compete for a roster spot, and an opening-night lineup spot with the Islanders.

Kessel provides needed, NHL-ready depth for the Islanders' right side behind the presumed top three of Ryan Pulock, Tony DeAngelo, and Scott Mayfield.

At long last, the Pittsburgh Penguins have added a left shot defenseman.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Penguins have signed defenseman Declan Carlile to a two-year contract. The average annual value is $1.5 million. 

Declan Carlile 2 x $1.5M

Pittsburgh

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026

Carlile played in four combined games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before appearing in 42 games this past season. He compiled one goal and three points in those 42 games. 

This could be similar to the Parker Wotherspoon deal from last year when the Penguins signed him to a cheap contract, feeling that he was ready for a bigger opportunity.

Carlile did well in his minutes with the Lightning and will try to build off that success with the Penguins. 

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For the second summer in a row, defenseman Dennis Gilbert has departed from Ottawa in free agency.

Gilbert, who suited up for three of the Senators' four playoff games against the Carolina Hurricanes this spring, signed a one-year, one-way deal ($850,000) to return to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. That, according to TSN's Darren Dreger. 

This wasn't Gilbert's first go-around with Ottawa, and it won't be his first with the Sabres either.

The Sens acquired Gilbert and Dylan Cozens from Buffalo at the 2025 NHL trade in the deal for Josh Norris. He only played four games with the Sens before they let him walk into free agency last summer. He then signed on for this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, who started him in the AHL.

The Sens re-acquired him in mid-November of this season for minor leaguer Max Guenette, who was still unsigned and hadn't made an NHL appearance with the Senators since 2023-24. Gilbert reported for duty in AHL Belleville and had 12 assists in 31 games.

He was called up to Ottawa for 8 regular-season games and then 3 more in the playoffs. 

Gilbert was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round, 90th overall, of the 2015 NHL Draft. In between Chicago and Buffalo, his NHL stops have included the Sens, the Calgary Flames, and the Colorado Avalanche.

At 29, Gilbert hasn't yet found full-time NHL work. He had a career-high 34 games with the Calgary Flames in 2023-24, so the one-way terms of his new contract (getting NHL money even if he's in the AHL) make it a big deal.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators check out one of the latest headlines below:

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Former San Jose Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel has finally earned himself a long-term contract at the NHL level. The 29-year-old winger signed a 5-year, $12.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, shortly after free agency opened.

Jeffrey Viel 5 x $2.5M

Tampa Bay

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026

Viel spent five seasons as a part of the Sharks organization, spending the majority of his time with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. He played just 49 games with the Sharks, scoring three goals and tallying a total of five points for the team in teal, while also registering 139 penalty minutes. With the Barracuda, he appeared in 212 games, scoring 45 goals and a total of 93 points, as well as 398 penalty minutes.

Since departing the Sharks organization at the end of the 2023-24 season, Viel has had stints with the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. Last season, the first full season at the NHL level of his career, he played 45 games between the two organizations, tallying 10 points and 79 penalty minutes. He also played in the first playoff games of his NHL career, scoring two goals and adding two assists for the Anaheim Ducks.